Wooden-bottomed shoe.



T. J. BURKE.

WOODEN BOTTOMED SHOE.

APPHCATIO'N FILED APR. 25. l9l8.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

THOMAS J. BURKE, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WOODEN-BOTTOMED SHOE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed April 25, 1918. Serial No. 230,644.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. BURKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brockton, in the county of Plymouth and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wooden-Bottomed Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a relatively inexpensive, strong, durable and waterproof shoe, utilizing wood as the material of the bottom which includes an insole portion and an outsole portion adapted to be fastened together to form a rigid bottom, and an upper secured to the bottom by the operation of fastening the said portions together.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will noW proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a plan view, illustrating a blank from which the outsole and insole portions of the bottom may be made.

Fig.2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are longitudinal sections of outsole and insole portions formed by dividing the blank along the line 00-22 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to a portion of Fig. 4, showing the heel end of the outsole portion after the same is completed, as hereinafter described.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan View, showing the insole portion provided with a marginal clamping face.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view, showing the outsole provided with a marginal clamping face. I

Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the insole portion, and an upper lasted thereon.

Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of a completed shoe embodying the invention, a part of the upper being broken away.

Figs. 10 and 11 are enlargements of portions of Fig. 9. V

Fig. 12 is an edge view, showing the heel ends of the outsole and insole portions placed incontact with each other, to illustrate the continuity of the marginal groove hereinafter referred to.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents an outsole portion of my improved shoe bottom, and 13 the insole portion thereof, said portions being made of wood.

I provide a blank of the general form illustrated by Figs. 1 and 2, and saw the blank along the dotted line w-ae (Fig. 2).-

This operation converts the blank into an outsole portion 12, having an upper face 14, and an insole portion 13, having a lower face 15. Said faces are the result of the saw cut, and are, therefore, complemental to each other, each accurately fitting the other.

The abutting face 14 of the outsole is surrounded by a continuous marginal clamping face 16, said face being indicated as a whole by the shaded portion of Fig. 7

ting face 15, and a heel portion, which is flush with said abutting face, the under side of the insole portion being rabbeted after the sawing operation, to form a shoulder 20 extending from a point 21 near one margin of the shank portion around the fore and toe portions to a point 22 near the opposite margin of the shank portion. The heel portion of the clamping face 17 is formed by the cut wm..

The marginal clamping face 16 preferably includesa heel portion which is offset from the abutting face 14, and a toe portion which is flush with said abutting face, and is formed bythe saw cut, the upper side of the outsole portion being rabbeted after the cuttingoperation, to form a shoulder 23, extending from a point 24 near one margin of the shank portionaround the heel to a point 25 near. the opposite margin of the shank portion. As illustrated by Fig. 12, the

shoulders 20 and 23 meet to form portions of the bottom of a continuous groove surrounding the abutting faces of the insole and outsole portions. The heel portion of said groove is thicker than the fore portion,

to accommodate the thickness of that portion of the upper which includes the heel stiffener 19.

In assembling the parts described, I proceed as follows:

After placing the insole portion 13 on a last 26,. I last the upper 19 by ti'irningthe marginal portion thereof inwardly upon the clamping face 17 and secure the inturned portion of the upper by means of fastenings 27, which may be ordinary lasting tacks, as indicated by Fig. 8. I then seat theabutting face of the outsole portion 12 on the abuttingface of the insole portion 13,,and secure said portions firmly together by any suitable means, such as screws 28 as shown by Fig; 9,

although, if desired, the abuttingfa'ces may be glued together. The operation ofuniting the outsole and insole portions causes their clamping. faces to securely confine the inturned margin of the upper and. the fastening-s 27.

Before uniting, the portions 12 and 13,1 prefer to apply a flexible compressible gasket 29' to the inturned margin of. the upper, said gasket. being. sole-shaped and covering the heads of the, fastenings 27. The gasket isfirmly compressed by the operation of uniting the portions 12 and 13, and excludes water from the joint between said portions. The gasket may be of any suitable compressible waterproof material, not liable to injury by contact with the upper leather. 7

T-he height of the shoulders 20 and 23 determines thewidth ofthe groove which receives the margin of the upper. The width-- of the groove is such that the clamp ing faces 16 and 17 will exert compressive pressure on the inturned portion of the upper and on the gasket, when the abutting faces l t and 1-5 bear, on each other.

As shown by Fig. 9, the heads of the screws 28 may be rounded and project from the tread of the outsole portion 12" so that the screws constitute the equivalent of hobnails. The slots in the screw heads form shoulders adapted-to engage a slippery surface and prevent slipping. The screws, therefore, notonly unite the portions 12, 13, but; also/prevent slipping,

The outsole portion may be provided with an integral enlargement at its heel end, constitutinga heel 30.

Thechange in form of the. insole and outsole portions. causedby, the. operations. of rabbettingv to provide the shoulders 20' and 23, may be seen by comparil'igFigi' 3! with Fig: 6, and, Fig, 4 with Fig. 4c.

Toicause accurate registrationiof the abutting;faces14eand 15', I'iprovide the insoleand outsole portions with registering; means, preferably embodied in. spaced. apart dowel pins; 35, attached to. one portion,, arid, sockets 3'6 formed in. the, other. portion, ,one of said pins being near one end, and the other near the opposite end of the sole portion, so that the median lines of the sole portions are ac curatel'y" registeredi The sockets 36 are formed in the blank before the sawing operation, by boring holes partly through the blank, as shown by Fig. 2, the inner portions of said holes forming the sockets 36, while the outer portions form sockets into which the dowels 35 are driven, after the sawing operation.

The blank shown by Figs. 1 and 2 may be marginally rabbetted to form an angular marginal recess 32 2 one side of which. forms the margin of the insole portion, the other side forming a part of the clamping face 16 ofthe outsole portion. The area of that part of the blank which constitutesthe insole portionis, therefore, less than that of the part which constitutes the outsole portion.

To partially compensate for the rigidity of the bottom, I so curve the forepart thereof,rthat it acts as a rocker when the wearer is walking, the curvature beingconsiderably greater than the normal curvature of the forepart of a flexible shoe bottom. 4

The. described bottom is adapted tobe renewed or repaired by a person unskilled in shoe-making, who may first remove the outsole portion, then withdraw the fasten ings 27 from the upper andv the insole, portion, then attach a new insole portion to'the upper, and then attach a new outsol'e portion to the insole portion. It is advisable to remove and discard the insole portionin repairing, although it may not be worn out, because its abutting face is not liable to accurately fit the abutting. face of a new outsole portion, the fact'beingthat the abutting faces, to perfectly fit each other, should be formed by a saw cut separating two pertions of a blank, as hereinbefore described. A soldier. may carry spare portions 12 and 13. and repair his own shoes.

The clamping faces 16 and 17 which are spaced apart by. the meetingof the abutting faces 14!. and 15, are accurately located'relatively to each other by the registration means provided by the dowels 35 and sockets 86, so that saidclampingfaces are caused to uniformly clampall portions of the inturned margin of the upperand a gasket superimposed thereon. In other words, there are no. portions offthe said margin and gasket which are insutiiciently clamped and are liable to admit 1noisture, -this result being: insured by the said registration means.

A- wat'erproof composition or cement may be applied to the inneredgeof'f the groore which receivesthe intur-ned edge of the upper, to form a waterprooffiller 38" between the edges oftheuppen and'groove; as shown by Figs. lo'and ll.

1'. A shoe comprising a rigid wooden hottom including an outsole portion and an insole portion, said portions having complemental abutting faces conforming accurately each to the other, and provided with means for causing registration when the portions are assembled, and clamping means forming opposite sides of a continuous groove surrounding said abutting faces, said groove being wider at the heel end than at the foreportion and an insole portion, said portions having complemental abutting faces seated on and conforming accurately to each other, means for causing registration of said faces when the portions are assembled, said means being embodied in a plurality of spaced apart dowels attached to one of said portions and projecting from the abutting face thereof, and corresponding sockets in the other portion receiving said dowels, and marginal clamping faces spaced apart by said abutting faces and forming opposite sides of a continuous groove surrounding said abutting faces and formed to receive the inturned margin of the shoe upper and a gasket superimposed thereon, said bottom portions being united with their abutting faces meeting each other, and the-said clamping faces being spaced apart by the meeting of the abutting faces and located relatively to each other by said registration means to uniformly clamp all portions of the said inturned margin and gasket.

3. A shoe comprising a rigid wooden bottom including an outsole portion and an insole portion, said portions having complemental abutting faces conforming accurately each to the other, the insole portion having a marginal clamping face including a portion offset from its abutting face and extending from one margin of its shank portion around the fore and toe portions, to the opposite margin of the shank portion, the out sole portion having a clamping face including a portion offset from its abutting face and extending from one margin of its shank portion around the heel portion to the opposite margin of the shank portion, said clamping faces forming opposite sides of a continuous groove surrounding said abutting faces, and wider at the heel end than at the forepart end of the bottom, an upper having an inturned margin inserted in said groove, and fastenings securing said margin to the clamping face on the insole portion, the said bottom portions being united to cause said clamping faces to confine the inturned margin and the said fastenings.

4. A shoe comprising a rigid wooden bottom including an outsole portion and an insole portion, said portions having complemental abutting faces seated on and conforming accurately each to the other, and provided with means for causing registration when the portions are assembled, said means being embodied in a plurality of spaced apart dowels attached to one of said portions and projecting from the abutting face thereof, and corresponding sockets in the other portion receiving said dowels, and marginal clamping faces spaced apart by said abutting faces and forming opposite sides of a continuous groove surrounding said abutting faces, an upper having an inturned margin inserted in said groove, and fastenings securing said margin to the clamping face on the insole portion, the said bottom portions being united to cause said clamping faces to confine the inturned margin and the said fastenings.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

THOMAS J. BURKE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0. 

